[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-immortal-path-among-the-stars":3,"chapter-the-immortal-path-among-the-stars-the-immortal-path-among-the-stars-chapter-14":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","The Immortal Path Among the Stars",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2319946,4537,"Chapter 14","the-immortal-path-among-the-stars-chapter-14",14,"\u003Cp>The \"Taiyuan Auxiliary System\" activated at this very moment!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But what were these automatic protection mechanisms and overclock synchronization modes? No one had ever told him about such functions during his classes at the Blue Star base.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What just happened with the dodge? He hadn’t moved himself—and the pain in his shoulder and arm had vanished without reason.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His consciousness was clear, yet he had lost all control and sensation over his body, as if another “self” were steering his limbs, just like when he first entered the other world in a dream.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Host self-defense weapon detected... one inferior steel longsword, four chi three cun in length... searching for longsword techniques... no relevant techniques found in host... found Blue Star Martial Arts Alliance Grand Arsenal... arsenal incomplete... found 17th Edition Practical Weapon Killing Technique: Iaido... meets host’s current conditions... loading Iaido technique...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Yu listened to the continuous stream of voices in his mind, stunned—but before he could think further, his body already plunged the longsword into the left side of his waist, gripped the hilt with his right hand, pressed his left palm against the blade’s back, and strode toward the white-robed youth, accelerating until he was sprinting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Strange.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The white-robed youth, seeing Wang Yu—who had been half-dead moments ago—suddenly spring to life and charge at him with fierce intent, frowned in shock, muttered under his breath, and chanted incantations; a strange pattern at the center of his fan glowed white, growing brighter by the second, when suddenly “Wang Yu” had closed the distance to two zhang away in a few leaps.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Haste!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The white-robed youth muttered, swinging his silver folding fan violently toward “Wang Yu.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Whoosh!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A torrent of murky yellow wind erupted from the silver fan, engulfing “Wang Yu,” and within a radius of several zhang, dust and stones flew wildly, blinding all sight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With his other hand, the white-robed youth slapped his waist and drew a slender, gleaming silver sword, three chi long, thin as a rope; with a flick of his wrist, countless sword shadows appeared, descending like a net upon the faint, flickering figure within the wind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Yu’s mind echoed with a mechanical, emotionless voice:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...17th Edition ‘Iaido’ comprises one hundred twenty-five blade angles... fifty-fourth angle is optimal... probability of defeating opponent: 89.5 percent... probability of self-injury: 100 percent... adrenaline doubled... duration: three seconds... legs begin storing power... storage level: 85 percent... right hand strength reaches maximum burst... burst level: 120 percent...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Cut!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A cold, emotionless voice rang from within the wind; a shadow leapt upward, and a brilliant white flash erupted in the gale—vanished in an instant—whereupon the dense sword shadows dissolved like foam, and “Wang Yu” appeared behind the white-robed youth like a phantom.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Impossible, you...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The white-robed youth’s face twisted in disbelief; he hurled his fan and silver sword away, clamped both hands over his throat—but moments later, a thin line of blood appeared across his neck, his head rolled off, and his headless body swayed before collapsing into a pool of blood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wang Yu” stood rigidly in place; the longsword once sheathed at his waist had been drawn and now held blade-upward in reverse grip, his five fingers cracked and bleeding from excessive force, his chest bearing three or four shallow, slender wounds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Threat neutralized... adrenaline returning to normal... heart rate normalizing... neural shielding deactivated... recommend immediate medical treatment... overclock synchronization mode deactivated... system self-protection mechanism deactivating... beep... beep... insufficient energy... system entering automatic sleep mode...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Yu’s legs buckled; he collapsed onto the ground, realizing he had regained control of his body—but every wound flared with searing pain, his head grew unbearably heavy, his thoughts sluggish, and even forming a coherent idea became difficult—the unmistakable signs of extreme mental exhaustion, as Master Chongyun had warned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He sat still for a long while, finally regaining enough strength to move; without further thought, he forced himself to step over the masked men’s corpses and stabbed each one several more times to ensure they were truly dead, then tore clean strips of cloth from their bodies and hastily bandaged his wounds and fingers—otherwise, continued blood loss would kill him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only now did he have time to search the enemies’ corpses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The four masked men yielded only a few taels of silver scraps and some copper coins—nothing else of value.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When he searched the headless body of the white-robed youth, however, he found far more: two golden ingots, three identical yellow talismans, and a fitted soft armor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The yellow talismans bore identical patterns on their surfaces—simple at first glance, yet upon closer inspection, they induced dizziness and vertigo; he knew these were cultivator artifacts and tucked them away immediately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The soft armor consisted of numerous yellow metal rings strung together with silver thread into a simple ringmail.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He slashed at it with his longsword—the blade rebounded, leaving only a shallow scratch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Yu knew it was valuable; he slipped it on beneath his inner robe, silently relieved that his controlled body had struck the white-robed youth’s neck—if he’d struck anywhere else, he might not have killed him with one blow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Next, he picked up the silver folding fan and the slender sword.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The fan’s edges were razor-sharp, its surface etched with uneven, strange patterns; the sword was no thicker than a finger, yet incredibly resilient and springy—even bent into a full circle, it snapped straight the moment released.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He noticed the white-robed youth’s belt was leather, with a flat slit in the middle—perfect for inserting the slender sword.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Yu tore off the belt, slid the sword into the slit, wrapped it around his waist, and secured the tip and hilt together—externally, not a trace of the weapon was visible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The silver folding fan had summoned a gale—such magic must be a cultivator’s artifact, even more valuable; he carefully tucked it into his robe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Yu dared not linger any longer, nor return to the temple; gripping the longsword, he sprinted down the mountain, planning to find a safe hiding spot for a while—after all, once time passed, his consciousness would return to Blue Star.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But as he reached the mountain’s base, panting and deciding where to go, a sharp whistle split the air—a Daoist priest descended from the sky and landed squarely before him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Master, you’re safe! Thank heavens!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Yu stared—and burst into joyous relief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man was Master Chongyun; his once-pristine robe was now charred black across half its surface, a large clot of dried blood stained his chest, his face deathly pale—but wisps of white clouds swirled around his body, appearing profoundly miraculous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Save your words—leave here first,” Master Chongyun said curtly, seizing Wang Yu by the collar of his chest, chanting softly; the white clouds encircling him spun, and they rose into the air once more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Yu gasped, hurled his longsword aside, and clung tightly to the Daoist’s arm; as they soared seven or eight zhang above ground, they shot off in a certain direction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even though the Daoist’s body blocked the wind, Wang Yu still felt deafening gales roaring past his ears—the speed was astonishing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“M...Master, Dongyue and I split up... we should be near each other,” Wang Yu gasped against the wind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Dongyue is just an ordinary man; his family has influence in Huangshi City—he’ll be fine,” Master Chongyun replied calmly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, Wang Yu relaxed and fell silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After more than two hours of flight, when the white clouds around the Daoist had nearly faded, they landed on a small hill near a village.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Daoist led Wang Yu to a sheer cliff face, ran his hand along its surface for a moment, then—BOOM—a thunderous rumble echoed as the cliff slowly split open, revealing a passage large enough to enter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Yu followed the Daoist inside; soon after, the cliff sealed itself shut again, leaving no trace from the outside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After walking ten or so paces down a dim tunnel, they entered a vast natural cavern; several small holes in the ceiling let in faint white light, and at its center stood a bronze tripod, half a person’s height, emitting a strong oily scent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Wang Yu wondered what the tripod was for, the Daoist walked over, pulled out a fire-starter-like object, waved it in the air until it ignited, and tossed it into the tripod.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Whoosh!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Flames erupted from the bronze tripod, roaring fiercely, illuminating the entire cavern as brightly as daylight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only then did Wang Yu notice four life-sized bas-reliefs carved into the cavern walls, one on each side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These are...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Yu instinctively stepped closer: the four reliefs depicted a wolf, a tiger, a bear, and a monkey, each in a different pose, lifelike as if alive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This place wasn’t built by me—I stumbled upon it by accident. When I found it, these four beast carvings were already here. They hold great mystery—likely contain some kind of cultivation method. The original owner was probably a cultivator, but despite years of study, I’ve gained nothing except that you should begin training from the Wolf Running image. If you have time, you may try to contemplate them. Also, I’ve hidden some dried rations here—enough for a while—and a small stream nearby provides water. For now, we won’t need to leave this place.” Master Chongyun spoke calmly, then rummaged from a corner of the cavern and pulled out a large bundle of hard rations—but before he could open it, he gagged and spat out a thick clot of black-veined blood onto the ground, reeking of decay.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Master, you’re wounded!” Wang Yu exclaimed, rushing over to support him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I was poisoned on my journey. I suppressed the poison with medicine, but was then ambushed by multiple powerful enemies. Not only did I lose Qingfeng, but I’ve exhausted my vital energy—I won’t last much longer.” Master Chongyun’s words chilled Wang Yu’s heart; he cried out:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Master, your cultivation is deep and you know spells—can’t you save yourself?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“There are ways—but only if a Foundation Establishment cultivator intervenes, or if one possesses the legendary spiritual pills. I’ve survived this long already by sheer luck.” The Daoist shook his head, pushed Wang Yu away, staggered to the opposite corner of the cavern, and tapped the ground lightly with his toe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Boom!” Dust flew up, revealing a small pit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Daoist bent down, retrieved a wrapped bundle, opened it on the spot—inside lay four items: a thick black-leather book, a rectangular iron box, a green jade gourd, and a white jade pendant.\u003C\u002Fp>",1744,"2026-06-20T15:44:30.991Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","f041c9765f90001efedd900b98673f379cb32c9ffebb02ec6f9700aa9be00621","the-immortal-path-among-the-stars-chapter-15","the-immortal-path-among-the-stars-chapter-13",530,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-immortal-path-among-the-stars-cover.jpg"]